Cotton-harvester.



m rm W w m r w W L 7 A Y M w H v. m B E J. s. WATSON.

COTTON HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1905'.

No. 794,265. PATENTED JULY 11, 1905. J. S. WATSON.

GDTTON HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Z 7 W) I mmeyf.

UNTTED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT QEETeE.

COTTON-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,265, dated July 11,1905.

Application filed January 6, 1905. Serial No. 239,872.

To all whom, it Inn/y concern.-

Be it known thatd, JEEEuRsoN SUMNER VVA'rsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Campbell, in the county of Dunklin and State ofMissouri, have .invented new and useful Improvements inCotton-Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to acotton harvester, and has for its object toprovide a simple and efficient machine of this kind.

A further object is to provide a picking mechanism which can be readilyattached to an ordinary farm-wagon, to which the cotton is deliveredafter it is removed from the plant.

Improved details in the construction and arrangement of the variousparts of the invention will be apparent from the detailed descriptionhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are front and sideelevations, respectively, of the invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig.A is a sectional detail. Figs. 5 and 6 are details showing thearrangement of the supporting-frame.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 7 denotes the box of an ordinaryfarm-wagon, and 8 one of the hind wheels. A bracket 9 is secured to theside-board 10 of the wagon-box, at the top edge thereof, and supports ahorizontal beam 11, which is bolted to the bracket, as at 12, andextends outwardly from the side of the wagon. A number of bolt-holes 13are provided to permit lengthwise adjustment of the beam for a purposeto be hereinafter described. Below the bracket 9 is a bracket 14, whichis secured to the side-board, near the bottom thereof, and supports ahorizontal beam 15, which also extends outwardly from the side of thewagon. This beam receives a tubular casting 16, which is secured by pins17 passing through the parts. The casting is adjustable lengthwise onthe beam for a purpose to be hereinafter described, a number ofpin-holes 18 being provided. The casting 16 and the beam 11 support twospaced vertical beams 19 and 20, which are joined at the top by across-beam 21. The parts herein described are the same on the sideopposite to the one shown in Fig. 1, and they are the supporting-framefor the picker mechanism,

to be hereinafter described. The lengthwise adjustment of the beams 11and the casting l6 herein described enables the supporting-frame to beextended outwardly from the wagon according to the width of the rows ofplants.

At 22 and 2 3, respectively,'are indicated two endless belts or aprons,of canvas or other suitable fabric. These are secured to slats 24,extending across and carried by sprocketchains 25 and 26, respectively,which pass over sprocket-wheels. Brushes 27 are mounted on the slats andoperate on the plants ina manner to be hereinafter described. The topsprocket-wheels 28 are mounted on shafts 29 and 30, respectively,journaled in bearings 31 on the supporting-frame, and the bottomsprocket-wheels 32 are on shafts 33 and 34:, respectively, journaled insuitable bearings at the bottom of the supporting-frame. shafts 29 andare provided at one end with bevel-gears 35 and 36, respectively, whichmesh with bevel-gears 37 and 38, respectively, on a shaft 39,journaledin bearings a0 on the supporting-frame. The shaft 39 also has asprocket-wheel 41, which is geared by a chain 42 to a sprocket-wheel4L3, fastened to the wheel 8. The gears 37 and 38 and the sprocketwheel4E1 will be feathered on the shaft 39 to permit adjustment of thesupporting-frame, as heretofore described.

In the operation of the machine when the wagon is drawn over the groundthe gearing herein described will cause the belts to travel in thedirection indicated by arrows in Fig. 1, causing the ascending brushesto sweep the plants. The brushes come together, as shown, and thusforcibly engage the plants on both sides, whereby the cotton iseffectively stripped off. To guide the plants between the belts, guidesor fenders 44: are provided, which are carried by the supporting-framein front.

At the top of the supporting-frame is a comb 45, which is presenteddownwardly and extends into the path of the ascending brushes carried bythe outside belt 23, which brushes on passing through the comb arestripped of the cotton which they carry. This is then taken up by theascending brushes on the inside belt 22, from which it is stripped by acomb 46, which is arranged at the upper end 100 The i of an inclinedchute 47, extending into the wagon-box This comb extends into the pathof the brushes onthe inside belt and strips them of the cotton thereon,which falls down the chute and into the wagon-box. As the belts coverthe slats 24, no cotton can escape.

from the brushes as they travel toward. the combs, and there isconsequently no loss.

The supporting-frame can be readily put on and removed from the wagon,and no specially;

constructed wagon is necessary, the invention being appllcable to anyordinary farm-wagon. MIHOIK changesmthe arrangement of the various partsherein described can; be made.

without departing from the scope of the in:

vention, and I-do not wish to limit myselfto. the precise constructionshown excepl as in:

pair of endless belts mounted in theframe and carrying brushes to engagethe plantszon opposite sides, a comb at: the top-01; the frame extendingdownwardly between the brushes,

anchute, extending into the wagon-body, and a comb at the upper end ofthe chute extendinginto,.the-path-.of. thebrushes on the inside belt.

2. In a cotton-harvester, the combination with-.awagon, of a framecarried thereby and extensible outwardly from one side thereof, a pairof endless belts mounted in the frame and carrying-brushes arranged toengage the plants on opposite sides, means for stripping the brushes,and means for delivering the cotton into the wagon.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEFFERSON SUMNER WATSON.

Witnesses:

(J. D. BRAY, C. A.,MAY-

